"For a 5:30 dinner to beat the rush. Before I get into this, I would like to say that the waiting staff was exceptional (except the watermen say I don't need water every 5 minutes and it will be disturbing). In conversation with the owner personally, Rafagino has been in business for 28 years and has sentimental value for the locals. People had their weddings in this place. It is about and without the feeling (as locals, but as the first timer) that I write this criticism. 1. At a price of about $60/person, I do not think it is unfair to have a certain level of expectation when it comes to the quality of food. Our meal started presented with a baguette, which was clearly from Safeway next door, and butter in the small single use plastic containers. Indestructible not to have fresh bread in an Italian place. 2. Appetizers were extremely small, which in a Michelin home, not so fine at about $12 a piece, and not if they were of eh quality. Specifically, the Bocconcini were flooded (a little tasty) balsamic dressing, but the mozz balls had melted, which turned the whole thing into a soup, more or less. 3. The caesar salad, once again, suffered from a lack of quality. The croutons were clear from a bag, there was 't enough dressing, and the Romaine was not cut to avoid large parts of the trunk. These are very simple concepts that even Olive Garden would get right. 4. I had veal picata as my entree. The pasta comes from a box awaiting at this point, but thought would be a cardinal sin in a reputable Italian restaurant. The calfse itself was not tormented with care and contained more grin than I want, which is zero. 5. The atmosphere that other reviewers have lured made me scratch my head because it is literally not one. It is a very small room that is dim (and not in a good way), the chairs are stone-hard and not beneficial to stay very long, and the whole facility suffers greatly from a lack of ambience to distract how narrow you are tamed there with other guests. Overall, this was probably the most regrettable restaurant I was in Burke. I think it is propped and guided by the locals, what I suspect to be pre Covid memories of the place, but if you think to visit for the first time, I suggest taking place the road to Villa Bella."
